New online delivery scam targets busy shops with fake CoD parcels

Fraudsters target establishments at rush hours with parcels containing items like torn clothes

- POOJA NAIR @Kozhikode

A NEW online delivery scam has emerged in several urban and semi-urban areas, targeting busy business establishments — particularly clinics, pharmacies, retail shops, and salons — during their peak hours.

Fraudsters, often posing as online delivery personnel, are duping unsuspecting staff members or sometimes the owner itself, by delivering fake Cash-on-Delivery (CoD) parcels that contain worthless items such as torn clothes, old shoes, or even trash.

According to the police, more than 50 such cases have been registered since January this year.

The officials further pointed out that the scam typically unfolds during the busiest times of the day, usually late morning to evening, when doctors, shopkeepers, or reception staff are preoccupied with customer flow or patients.